Financing tools

Air Liquide diversifies its financing sources by accessing various debt markets. In the long run, the Group funds itself with bond issues, usually though its Euro Medium-Term Notes programme (EMTN), targeting European, American, as well as Chinese markets. Over the short term, Air Liquide has recourse to Negotiable Europeann Commercial Paper (formerly Billet de Trésorerie) and US Commercial Paper. The Group has also access to a securitization programme as well as a Syndicated Credit Facility and several bilateral credit facilities with the Group’s core banking partners for general corporate purposes.

Syndicated credit facility

Air Liquide’s policy requires that confirmed credit lines back all commercial paper issues.

For this reason, the Group holds a 1.3 billion euro, five-year syndicated credit facility, with two one-year extension options, reaching maturity in November 2020 after the exercise of both one-year extension options.

The Group did indeed take advantage of the liquidity of the 2013 market to extend the initial two-year maturity and did so while increasing the total amount committed by the banks and aligning its loan conditions with the market conditions prevailing at the time of negotiations.

Bilateral credit facilities

Air Liquide has also contracted bilateral credit facilities with its core banking partners. As of December 31, 2017, the total amount of undrawn committed credit lines reached 3.1 billion euros including the Syndicated Credit Facility.